From Opus

Picture is of the nominate subspecies N.c.cyanoleuca.
Photo by Robert scanlon
Location: La Suiza Nature Reserve, near Pereira, Colombia

Pygochelidon cyanoleuca

Notiochelidon cyanoleuca

[edit] Identification

11-12 cm. Dark blue upperparts, white underparts, blackish underwings and undersurface of tail. Juvenile - brown above, buff below, and less forked tail.

[edit] Distribution

Nicaragua and South America.

[edit] Taxonomy

Three subspecies are recognized:

• The nominate N. c. cyanoleuca - Nicaragua and Trinidad south to northwestern Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
• The migratory southern race, N. c. patagonica.
• N. c. peruviana - Peru up to 2500m.

The species is also placed in genus Notiochelidon by some authorities.

[edit] Habitat

Common and widespread, especially in agricultural and urban areas upto 4000m.

[edit] Behaviour

Both sexes build a shallow nest from straw. 6 white eggsare laid and are incubated by both parents for 15 days. Both parents feed the young for 26 days to fledgings. There may be two broods.

The diet includes insects caught aerially.

[edit] External Links